Twins outfielder Alex Kirilloff sent down, others reassigned to minor league camp

Minnesota Twins outfielder Alex Kirilloff has been optioned to an alternate training site ahead of the 2021 Major League Baseball regular season, meaning he won’t make the cut for the Opening Day roster.

Kirilloff hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game above the Double-A level but did get some major-league experience as a member of Minnesota’s playoff roster last fall. That, combined with the departure of Eddie Rosario, seemingly indicated that Kirilloff had a strong chance to open as the team’s starting left fielder, but he did very little to back that notion up this spring, hitting .129/.182/.258 in 12 games with eight strikeouts and just one walk, according to MLB.com.

Additionally, the Twins announced left-handed pitcher Charlie Barnes, catcher Caleb Hamilton, right-handed pitcher Griffin Jax, outfielder Trevor Larnach and shortstop Royce Lewis were sent to minor league camp.

Lewis, Kirilloff and Larnach represent the top three prospects in the organization, respectively. Lewis will miss the 2021 season after undergoing surgery in February to repair a torn right ACL.